


This Is What Personal Looks Like

by JadeFlicker



Series: 10 Days of LawLu (In General) [3]
Category: One Piece
Genre: #10daysoflawlu, 10 Days of LawLu 2016, But life, Can be read as friendship, Day 3, Hatmaking knowledge, Headcanon warning, Law and the Straw Hats will get angry for him, M/M, Mugiwara no Ichimi | Straw Hat Pirates, Nakama, Nakamaship, One straw hat to rule them all, Protective Mugiwara no Ichimi | Straw Hat Pirates, Protectiveness, Some Fluff, When Luffy is not able to get angry, this is so late
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-18
Updated: 2016-06-18
Packaged: 2018-07-15 21:53:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7239925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JadeFlicker/pseuds/JadeFlicker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So Law had thought the Straw Hats had taken the battle with Kaidou as a personal vendetta for all the tears shed by Momosuke and all sorts of new Wano friends.</p><p>The Hearts captain had been badly mistaken.</p><p>Apparently, <i>this</i> was what personal looked like.</p><p>Well, it really was.</p><p>(In which, Law and the Straw Hats will get angry for Luffy when he's not able to.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	This Is What Personal Looks Like

**Author's Note:**

> So first off, thank you so much for all the response in my last two fics. Especially the Take It From Another Savior. Wow that got a lot more traffic than I'm use to. Anyways, this is my Day 3: Family (Nakama) fic. This one was so long and I'm so happy I actually got it done.
> 
> Anyways, I sincerely hope all my fellow LawLu OTPer's enjoy!

So Law was starting to see the goddamn pattern. Because of course the world’s (debatably) most unpredictable pirate crew would actually just have the most ridiculous routine.

1\. Makes a friend. Or friends in an especially complicated adventure.  
2\. Said friend(s) gets swept up in Straw Hat’s pace.  
3\. Everyone gets attached.  
4\. An enemy appears of some epic proportion that has great importance in one or six ways. Their areas of influence could include a group, a country or even the fucking world.  
5\. Makes more allies to drag into the fight, whether they were willing or not. But by the end, they end up as at least grudging allies. Or prisoners. Somehow through it all, Caesar had remained their captive.

Speaking of which, Law wasn’t sure he wanted to know how Luffy had convinced Big Mom to side with them, and then drag the Emperor’s entire crew into battling Kaidou with them. Talk about augmenting the damage. He was still waiting to see whether or not there would be repercussions for that bit of lunacy. So it was vital to know, but experience said the absurdity of the “adventure” would be detrimental to his own mental well-being. On top of that, somehow the Vinsmoke Family got involved, were caught in the crossfire and were then forced to fight Kaidou or perish. During the actual battle, someone saved someone else of some import, and apparently the assassin group now owed a life debt to the Straw Hat crew. Or just one of them? Law was too tired to get semantics at the moment, but he could see the way the blonde men and women with the unique eyebrows gave the Straw Hat crew considering looks. They weren’t attacking anymore, but they were still pretty suspicious and Law thought it was best to keep on guard while they remained.

Clearly, Blackleg agreed. He and Zoro kept a careful distance from the blonde’s biological family. In the meantime, had strategically placed themselves between the assassins and the injured or weakened members of their crew. At the moment, Sanji was covering their navigator, reindeer, and sniper. Together, they were hurrying to a miles long crater half-filled with rubble resulting from the face-off against the former Strongest Creature in the World. Zoro traded a look with Law and, despite bleeding profusely from some lucky strike, kept his back to his crew and face towards the Vinsmokes and Big Mom’s men.

Meanwhile, the older D didn’t miss the emphasized line of worry in Sanji’s movements and back. The chef had always looked at his captain with a mixture of fondness, wonder and easy family affection. There had always been a deep vein of loyalty, faith, and love. From what Law picked up, the blonde man had been one of the original four that entered the Grand Line with the rubber captain. How many miracles had he seen Straw Hat pull? How many lives saved? How many people did he witness his captain pull out from their past and obligations so they could be free? So upon meeting back up, the glint of disbelief wasn’t as obvious. 

But it _was_ still there. 

Law, who had lived with his nightmares for years, could sense that the younger, black-haired boy conquered other people’s nightmare, freed other people’s souls. Sanji was already his, but now the way his cook looked at the straw-hat wearing captain ( _with awe, with determination, with a forever-no-matter-what_ ) was something Law could identify with. The surgeon had seen his ally work miracles too. But it was different when _he_ (who had, in a sense, given up long ago) was the one who felt all the emotions that came with seeing the cageDoflamingohisnightmares fall. It was different when it was that personal.

6\. Finally, the suicidal crew will then follow their insane dipshit captain into some flaming-turd-flinging escapade because said enemy made whatever new friend(s) cry. Boo-hoo.

No political, moral, or economic (except maybe for the redhead navigator of the crew) reasons. No, they will challenge the goddamn world because the enemy hurt whatever or whoever the Straw Hat crew had befriended in that particular area. Things got explosive when an enemy made their friend(s) cry. That was a big no-no that made the issue a personal vendetta.

The Straw Hats tended to be even more reckless, destructive, and unpredictable when things became a personal vendetta. 

Because from what Law understood, the whole overthrowing countries shtick and their captain doing things that will rock a person’s world were (and he now hated to use this term) old hat. That’s how each of them were recruited. That’s what happened in Alabasta.

Enies Lobby before it was wiped off the map.

And Fishman Island.

Punk Hazard.

He wasn’t going to start on goddamn _Dressrosa_.

And apparently there were _reasons_ Big Mom’s Totland was in chaos.

Obviously, the Straw Hats’ habit of leaving a trail of destruction behind could be greatly mitigated if only they would _stop making friends goddamnit_.

Honestly, Wano use to be in a lot better shape as well. Now the locals would have to re-ordinate themselves through the new surrounding terrain that resulted from the clashes. Over the course of a few days, there were now new mountains, flatlands or hills where there _use_ to be mountains, missing forests, and barren valleys. But at least the landscape wasn’t as bad off as the Beast Pirates. Or Kaidou himself for that matter. Destroyed towers and changed landscape aside, people were cheering and crying in relief. Together, they had brought down a usurper Shogun, all of his supporters, one Kaidou, three Calamities and most of the Beast Crew. 

This was their win.

As he slumped against a chunk of what he was pretty sure used to be part of a ceiling, the older D used his sword to brace himself somewhat upright. While he was almost completely worn out, one of them still needed to maintain at least the _pretense_ of dignity. And his straw hat wearing partner—who was collapsed into an exhausted, injured heap a bit away—sure as hell couldn’t. But to be fair, everyone was battle-worn and the younger D _had_ just delivered the finishing blow to the Strongest Creature in the World. More likely than not, nobody was going to say anything. Not even the now-freed “Captain” Kidd seem to have the energy for some crass quip. That left Law to tiredly mused about what this new development might mean for them, about what kind of position beating Kaidou put his ally in. Was _Luffy_ now the Strongest Creature in the World? The possibility of Straw Hat gaining this title greatly amused him. If his partner were to be judged as the Strongest Creature in the World, it would be a kind of strength completely different from Kaidou’s. Either way, the surgeon relished this thought, a D gaining that title would no doubt result in the World Nobles and the Five Star Elders shitting themselves in a panic. A dry, croaking chuckle that managed to escape the admittedly creepy Operation-man caused those nearby to shudder.

For now, they would need to take account of injuries, damages, and causalities. The Wano resistance group, the Vinsmokes, Big Mom and her crew, the Hearts Pirates, the former Whitebeard Commanders, the Straw Hats, and all ensuing groups were currently cheering and celebrating. But Law saw how the medics were all already moving. He would rest a little before seeing if there was anybody that needed serious tending too. Then he could pass out for a while. Most importantly was to make sure his bullheaded ally didn’t die in the meantime. They had _things_ to do now that they were officially the alliance that took down Kaidou. A part of him was also debating whether he should even bother with the now freed Eustass Kidd.

So it was while Law was distractedly trying to recall what supplies were available that calamity (or rather, a Calamity) struck.

The sound of shifting, crumbling rubble, a muted roar, and piercing screams caused Law to hastily throw himself to his feet. He stood just in time to see the Beast Crew Calamity nicknamed ‘The Storm’ lunge out of the debris in the crater like an ugly wave. The movement disturbed the rubble and dust and caused it to spray and waterfall out around him in thick, curling rolls. Dark blood made black by its viscosity seem to pulse out from every crevice and dripped down his face to form a thick, insane mask. Horns worn as a trademark by every member of the crew had been snapped off to sad stumps, and dust seem to be grinded into a second skin. 

Cursing, the surgeon took a serious examination at his current fighting capabilities. He had maybe enough energy for one Room with one serious attack, depending on just how much Haki the Calamity had left. But seeing as using it would knock him unconscious, he was going to save it for something really vital. His swordsmanship would have to compensate in the meantime, even if he was swaying on his feet.

“I thought you took care of that one!” Law yelled at Kidd, face twisted at rage at the redhead captain’s _incompetence_. Everyone else had pulled their weight and defeated their matchup or opponent.

“Hey! I thought I did!” said redhead snarled back, already dropped back into a wary combat crouch. “He looked pretty dead to me! And the sonavubitch took a lot of punishment!”

Distantly, Law was aware of that—out of all the Calamities—the Storm was probably the sturdiest besides Kaidou himself. He was aware that a just-freed Kidd was far from the best shape when he took on that Calamity in a vengeful rage. But at that moment, Law didn’t particularly _care_ because the shitty piece of mincemeat had seen an unconscious Luffy and lunged at him to bring his fists down towards his young, unconscious ally.

**“JUMP POINT!”**

A brown blur streaked out from under the fist just before it made contact. Law shuffled forward and squinted his eyes when the blur did a rolling crash into another pile of rubble, but relaxed slightly when he saw Chopper carefully unroll and handle Luffy with the most tender care.

“Good job, Chopper!” Nami called out in relief.

Usopp cheered, “Amazing Chopper!”

“Man, that Jump Point of yours really is amazing,” Sanji whistled as they hurried over, impressed. “You actually moved slightly faster than me there.”

The small reindeer, meanwhile, was glaring at the lumbering, slogging Calamity angrily, a determined set in his brow. 

“I’m Luffy’s doctor!” he growled. “I’m not going to let him hurt Luffy when he’s already injured like this!”

The Surgeon of Death knew better than anyone else the kind of determination and focus that came from an invested doctor. His own hands were still half-curled into the shape for a Room, despite him having already let his arm fall back to his side. Urgently, his gaze flickered back to the injured Storm, analyzing for the next possible move or attack. But said Calamity seemed to be uninterested in attacking anymore. In fact, he was altogether distracted by something on the ground. Bending over, the large creature picked up something bright yellow that fit easily in the palm of his hand.

When the Calamity turned his hand to examine it, everyone could see that he was actually holding a familiar, worn straw hat.

Law stiffened. From where he was standing, he saw the advancing Straw Hats freeze for a split second as well. Then Usopp gasped, long and loud like a landed fish, enough for the surgeon to hear even while only reaching the edge of the crater. Sanji hissed and swore, dropping his cigarette and crushing it harshly underfoot. Chopper squeaked in panic as he frantically looked back and forth between Luffy and the captured hat, realizing that he had missed it. An ominous hiss of steel rang in people’s ears throughout the now tense battlefield before Zoro casually dropped into the crater. It was a casualness that completely belied the choking killing intent that suddenly swamped the battleground; a force that might as well be Conqueror’s Haki for all the fear it struck. All eyes were focused on the Calamity and the iconic hat that seemed so forlorn in the hands of a stranger. 

The sound of crinkling straw as the Calamity’s hand tightened caused another layer of stillness to momentarily settle over the Straw Hats. Rage, unsure wariness, worry, and breathless indignity twisted all their faces and weapons were back in hand as they kept their eyes focused almost solely on the hat.

“This hat…,” the creature muttered, sounding distant and a bit lost. There was something ominous about it, a step about to be taken, that caused the hairs on Law’s neck to raise. “I know…this hat…where…?!” 

A sudden, physical, jerking start by the creature caused the battlefield to suddenly echo with guns cocking and the clicks and hisses of steel as all parties drew their weapons at the last of Kaidou’s main men. Among them, he heard the whoosh of a phoenix’s flames and the rapid clicking of a man turning himself partially into diamond. But the Storm seemed to be unaware that he had a bullseye pained on him in all directions. Instead, his wide, trembling eyes were fixed on the comparatively tiny hat with a look of such shock and terror that Law checked to make sure the hat hadn’t suddenly turned to acid or something of the like. 

“ _Roger_...,” he murmured in a low rumble, with something like a terrified realization. Seeming to confirm his own revelation and very near hyper-ventilating, his voice and heavy breathing building into a howl, “ ** _Roger!_** ” The hand holding the straw hat was shaking violently, crumpling out of shape in the man’s fisted hold. “ _Roger, you **monster!**_ Why must you always come back to haunt me?! First you, then the Red-Hair bastard, and now another East Blue brat! **How many of my crews must you and your ghost destroy?!** ”

In a switch so sudden it was almost violent, he went from shaking and trembling to fervently tearing apart the straw hat in between meaty hands and chipped, vicious claws. He went at it with all the frustrated rage and lashing fear and blind desperation of a sinner attempting to exorcise some specter or demon, completely focused on it with wild eyes.

The thing was, Law remembered that hat. Holding it, examining it, wondering about this inconspicuous little thing that was his colleague/patient’s epithet. He remembered waiting on the deck of his submarine in the middle of a warzone, waiting and prolonging their leave because an instinct that they hadn’t quite gotten everyone. It was a unsettling feeling that he was leaving someone or something important behind. When his not-yet-ally-but-still-patient had rampaged, Law had been left holding the lonely hat in the palm of his own hand. Because for all that it was a straw hat, it had felt strangely heavily. For all that it seemed so ordinary, he couldn’t imagine the younger captain without it. It didn’t seem possible for there to be a Monkey D. Luffy without that straw hat.

So when the creature first started to tear at the hat, it had startled Law badly. It was if the world froze, ice poured into everyone’s veins with the sound of tearing straw echoing in the space and their minds.

Because that was the _straw hat_ of the _Straw Hats_. And its owner currently wasn’t awake enough to defend it.

In a few seconds that seemed far longer than they were, the poor thing was in tatters. Shreds of straw and red cloth sprinkled down and scattered across the dusty ground before a heavy foot started frantically stomping at the bits, grinding it under the bloody boot. The frantic stomping finally seemed to knock everyone out of their stunned stupor.

Chopper’s already watering, horrified eyes overflowed and tears started to roll down his cheeks as he stuttered numbly in some mimicry of protest. “T-That’s…that’s Luffy's hat…” the reindeer echoed, “H-his hat…That’s Luffy’s promise with Shanks. That…,” his lips pulled back in a snarl as the little doctor was now visibly shaking. His mewling turned into a full on roar, “THAT ISN’T SOMETHING FOR YOU TO STEP ON!”

Because one way or another, Luffy had worked his way into their hearts. Or at least was now someone they respected. That hat was an icon known throughout the world. Everyone was left horrified. Everyone except the Straw Hats, who were _enraged_.

“What the hell…,” Nami exhaled, low and ominous like rolling thunder. Strange for a woman, but her grip on her staff was so tight that it had grown to a frightening length. It seemed she was the only other one who was even capable of speaking full sentences right now. “What the hell do you think you’re doing to Luffy’s treasure, you _bastard_.”

“ _Unforgivable_ ,” their sniper pulled from between clenched teeth. For the first time, Law saw Usopp’s shake in rage instead of fear. For all that he was a coward, the wide-eyed, tight look on the Straw Hat’s marksmen face was a stark reminder of why this young man was a member of such a notorious pirate crew. Even their coward had a point where he would turn murderous with rage.

So Law had thought the Straw Hats had taken the battle with Kaidou as a personal vendetta for all the tears shed by Momosuke and all sorts of new Wano friends. 

Sanji’s jaw had fallen open, but now snapped shut with an audible click and grind as he glared murderously at Kaidou’s last man. Flames and heat were already crawling up his legs, and his eyes were truly that of a Straw Hat created from Vinsmoke assassin stock. Barely leashed wildness and impulsiveness and a willingness to go to whatever lengths was necessary. 

Franky was now striding over to the crater in a steady march with one exposed red eye gleaning maniacally and gears within his body clicking together ominously. There was deep frown on his face and a dark look Law wasn’t used to associating with the usually lighthearted pervert. 

Brook suddenly seemed very _different_ from the cheerful skeleton he was onboard the Sunny. Law was sharply reminded of the haunted stories he read in books and heard in rumors. Almost as if to himself, the musician started humming a haunting, lonely melody that sounded like a funeral dirge. 

The Hearts captain had been badly mistaken. 

“I’m going to enjoy breaking you,” Robin mused out loud with her usual, light casualness. It was anything but. A furious, vicious look twisted her face and made her hard eyes glean with all the edge of ice and blades. Suddenly, they could see the woman who was the ‘Demon Child’, infamous around the world and downright sinister. 

The Straw Hat’s green-haired swordsman didn’t say anything at all. But there was a sharp, demonic glean in his one eye that others could sense. A feeling of danger and of something evil and viscous, spawned and mixed in with the bloodlust everyone could _feel_ like a physical touch. 

Apparently, _this_ was what personal looked like. 

Well, it really was. 

“O-oi. What the hell is with you…?!” 

The surgeon vaguely wondered what kind of face he had to be making to cause even the bloodthirsty Eustass Kid to startle and hesitate like that. Not that it mattered much, he had business to take care of. Unlike Chopper, Law had no qualms about using his medical knowledge to make people hurt. And the Calamity had just volunteered to become Law’s new test subject. 

They didn’t rush, but the only way to describe the way they all headed over to the Calamity was that they _stalked_. Everyone else either scrambled out of their paths or hastily moved out of vicinity. People hurried out of the immediate area to wisely put some distance between themselves and the crater. Because there was no mitigating, happy, bouncy captain. No distractions, and no ridiculous antics that unbalanced everyone. Here, they were suddenly reminded that the happy-go-luck Straw Hats, while unconventional, were still pirates, And they would not forgive this violation. 

Law couldn’t answer why he felt so offended, so coldly angry. But he had a well-earned _reputation_ for being cruel, and as he slid into the crater, he decided it was about time he reinforced it. It’d been awhile. 

With a metallic click and hiss, he unsheathed his nodachi. 

They converged on the Storm.

* * *

“This straw isn’t the right color!” 

“It’s _straw_! Isn’t it all the same?!” 

“Che. That’s why you’ll never be anything more than a shitty marimo who’s only good for cutting things.” 

“WHAT DID YOU SAY, MUSTACHE-BROW?!” 

“THAT ON TOP OF BEING HALF-BLIND, YOU’RE ALSO APPARENTLY _COMPLETELY DEAF_!” 

If those two didn’t shut up soon, Law was going to cut them apart and stick their heads in a soundproof box together. Hopefully, they would simultaneously combust given enough time. The sentiment seemed to be shared by many within the general vicinity of the yelling, though some seemed to have mastered ignoring the routine bickering altogether. Routine enough that right about now...

“SHUT UP, YOU MORONS!” the Straw Hat’s redhead navigator yelled, going full-on demon-faced at the pair. Exhaling forcefully, she continued to fiddle with the remains of the coveted straw hat determinedly. “With Luffy’s injuries, he’s not going to wake up for another one or two days. That means we’ve got some time to get this right before he wakes up and discovers what happened to his hat! Zoro, go back and this time, get straw that’s a more similar color!” 

Despite his clear reluctance to obey and his back-and-forth with the cook, the green-haired swordsman didn’t actually seem opposed to helping fix the hat. Bending over to carefully pick up some of the shreds of the original hat, he studied it intently with one eye before abruptly turning around and striding off determinedly. 

“Oi oi oi,” Usopp sung out in a flat, disbelieving voice. “Zoro, you’re going the wrong way again.” 

“Haaa?” was the incredulous response. 

Nami sighed in exasperation, “Why am I surrounded by idiots...Franky! Go with him!” 

The cyborg jumped to his feet with a grin, packing away some smaller tools into himself. He had been trying to get at the straw hat to ‘improve’ it, much to all the others' chagrin. “SUPER! Let’s go get the straw, Zoro-bro!” 

Zoro’s pained look at these kinds of situations never failed to amuse Law. Mostly because it wasn’t happening to himself, partially because he wasn’t feeling too charitable towards the other swordsman nor the cook after hours of bickering. 

It was the first time in two days that he had felt remotely awake enough to do anything other than perform some vital surgery, have food and medicine stuffed down his throat by the young reindeer doctor, and pass out again. Fighting the Calamity of Disease hadn’t exactly been a walk in the park. It had pushed Law to his limits as a fighter, a Devil Fruit User, and a surgeon. 

During this time, Law thanked whatever forces of the universe for Tony Tony Chopper. Bless his tiny, fluffy reindeer heart and the competency he rarely saw in most other doctors. Say whatever else you wanted, Straw Hat somehow managed to pick out a group of specialists who were geniuses in their chosen fields. Law had been worried that he would have to deal with the majority—if not all the—patients, and especially the victims of the Calamity of Disease. But it turned out that the progressive medicines of Drum Island, a thorough two-year pharmaceutical education, and a genuine thirst for knowledge and to help meant that the Surgeon of Death could leave most of the work to a doctor who was genuinely interested in life. Even injured and liberally wrapped in bandages, the reindeer doctor was making rounds and hassling patients back into bed rest. His remedies were dished out generously and to great effect. A large part of how Law was even up at the moment and not in depths of a coma was due to whatever concoction the younger doctor had made the surgeon swallow. Once they had the time and he had more energy, Law would need to look into that. 

He genuinely entertained the idea of stealing the reindeer, but he didn’t think he could put up with the resulting whining from his fellow D. And good gods, the pouting was something that actually sometimes managed to make him feel _guilty_. 

As he watched, he recalled vague memories of seeing the Straw Hats crew frantically working on the hat every time he was awake. It still looked like they only had the basic shape of the hat along, but the ribbon had been carefully sewn back together and tucked about in way that one could barely see a few stitches here and there. Their problem seemed to be that they were trying to incorporate as much of the original straw as possible. However, when salvaging, most of the straw found and gathered was beyond saving. So it became a matter of using some of the old straw and a good bit of new straw; to which no one could agree about the color. 

Even though they were all injured in some way or form, they were determined to get this done. And like many things Straw Hat-related, their energy was as infectious as a virus. The Minks who had tagged along, members of the Wano resistance, former Whitebeard Commanders, the Vinsmoke daughter, and even some of Big Mom’s group were pitching in advice, arguing dimensions, or sorting straw. And at the center of the group was a sleeping Straw-Hat Luffy, able to draw a crowd even when unconscious. 

It was a strange sight, but one that Law now knew wasn’t an unusual one. 

Looking on through a half-lidded gaze not even a full twelve feet away, he chose not to pay attention to the captain coming to stand next them, despite having heard Kidd’s heavy footsteps. 

“I don’t see what’s the big deal with fixing the hat,” the recently recovered, one-armed pirate grunted. “Can’t they just get a new one?” 

As someone who also had a rather precious hat, Law frowned in disagreement. Narrowing his gaze out of the corner of his eyes to glare at the redhead captain, he deadpanned, “No.” 

Kidd was also studying the bustling group incredulously, so he didn’t catch the glare. But he certainly got the message. “I’m just saying.” He snorted. “They’re noisy and it’s starting to get on my nerves.” 

“Eustass-ya, either deal with the noise or put your ass back in the cell we found you in. You’re the one freeloading right now.” 

“Che. I would have gotten myself out eventually,” he waved off. “So you still have that stick up your ass, huh? I would have thought taking down a Warlord and an Emperor would have made you less of a little bitch at this point.” 

“And I would have thought having your ass handed to you after having gone after said Emperor would have made you even slightly less of an arrogant shitface.” 

Unlike the Straw Hats, the rest of the Worst Generation had actually been hanging around the New World for a while now. They hadn’t made much noise up until Doflamingo’s fall, but some of them had managed to bump into each other once in a while. And since that first meeting in Shabondy, Law had _not_ been able to get along with Kidd. 

“Hey! The bastard took us by surprise!” Kidd barked, finally turning his head to glare at the surgeon. “Was just suppose to be just me, Hawkins, that double-crossing freak getting together to plan how to take down the Red Emperor. Then Kaidou drops out of the freaking sky and Hawkins goes running while the elbows fucker sucks up to save his own ass.” 

“Red Hair Shanks-ya?” slipped out as Law was genuinely surprised. 

“What about it?” Kid growled. 

“Huh…you just missed him,” Law shrugged before settling back more comfortably in his seat. Responding to Kidd’s wordless, shocked look with a smug smirk, he elaborated because why not rub it in? “We met him on the way here. He thought Kaidou needed to get his ass kicked and wanted to do the honors. But when he heard that Straw Hat-ya was on his way here to take Kaidou’s head, he backed off.” 

“Why the hell would Red Hair back off for Straw Hat?” 

“The two have a history,” the D responded cryptically, simply because he could. Seeing the vein in Kidd’s forehead throb in infuriation was certainly gratifying. “Too bad for you, Eustass-ya. The Emperor you picked has already designated the one to beat him, and it sure as hell isn’t you.” 

The violent pirate scowled, face darkening. “Screw that,” Kidd growled, painted lips pulled into a sneer. “I’ll be the one to take down Red-Hair and become Pirate King.” 

It was the dark-haired man’s turn to snort incredulously, “You keep telling yourself that.” 

“Grrrrr! Hey!” Eustass barked, voice turn hoarse in a familiar anger. “At least I’ve actually been trying to find it! Meanwhile, you’re dicking around and playing house with the World Government and the Straw Hats!” 

“And how many copies of the Road Ponelgyphs do you have to show for it?” Before Kidd could give an angry response, Law cut him off, “None. You have none. Because if you did have any, Kaidou took it. And we took everything of Kaidou’s.” Raising a hand, he pulled the bill of his hat lower over his face. “Additionally, you’re short of, well, your entire crew. If you’re comparing the two of us, Eustass-ya, then I’m closer to finding it than you are. So if you could stop barking like a rapid, half scrap metal dog…? I’d appreciate it.” 

The one-armed captain tched defiantly and growled, “With the way you’ve been so buddy-buddy with Straw Hat and all that shit I heard you got into with Doflamingo, I would have thought you were giving up trying pathetically to become Pirate King.” 

Law snorted again, “Unlike you, freeloader-ya, I have _priorities_. One Piece isn’t going anywhere and I’m not impatient like you. There’s other things to take care of first.” 

Practically speaking, Law was willing to admit that between the three of them (him, Luffy, and Kidd), the Straw Hat captain was probably closest to actually finding One Piece. If for nothing else, because he had one of the few people (if not the only person) who could even read Poneglyphs. But he trusted Kidd even less than he trust Sanji’s family, so he wasn’t going to remind the bloodthirsty half-wit of that. 

Sighing through his nose, he heaved himself out of his seat and silently wandered over to where they were trying to fix the straw hat. Literally kicking Pekoms out of his seat, Law sat down again with an exhale. His ribs were set but his everything was still pretty tender, especially his previously severed right arm. He would still need to be careful with how he moved for a while. Giving his younger ally resting in front of him a quick medical once over, he then raised his head once again to see them still struggling with the hat. 

“For the love of…,” he sighed before holding out a tattooed hand towards Nami expectedly. “Nami-ya, give it to me.” He didn’t miss the way the Straw Hats suddenly went defensive and tense, Nami holding it closer to herself protectively. Here was one thing he never thought he’d see: the results of a crew traumatized by having a hat torn apart in front of them. Exasperated, he raised his hand and pulled off his own hat into his lap. Tapping the top of the fluffy hat with a crooked finger. “I’ve had to learn some hatmaking and repair skills over the years. At least let me try.” 

Actually, for most hatmakers, the weaving action of making a straw hat and sewing were the equivalent of a smith learning to make nails. At the time, it was just to learn how to fix his own hat, a memento of happy days and one of the few things he had left of his childhood home. But surprisingly enough, the actions helped him learn the basic skills for a surgeon. Namely, actual practice in sewing. It also introduced a young, budding Law to the entire idea of putting body parts together back when he was still discovering the intricacies of his then-new powers. He at least got proficient enough that when his hat became a bit too worn and damaged, he had the skills to modify it into something like a cap. So he met Nami’s gaze with all the authority and determined confidence of a medical professional and hoped the experience showed through enough to inspire some confidence. 

Surely enough, Nami hesitatedly handed him the straw hat, delivering it forward carefully with both hands as if it was spun glass. Nodding his thanks, he pulled his own hat back over his hair and replaced it with the forlorn looking straw hat. Cradling it in his lap, he looked it over and studied it stoically. 

Without looking up, he started shooting out orders. “Someone get me water, something that can produce steam, and some of the medical adhesive. Also, I need that straw next to Carrot-ya.” 

Paws and hands quickly shoved whatever he needed haphazardly up against and around him. Carrot was the only one who approached him carefully, setting herself down next to him and holding up a bundle of straw in her paws. For all that she hadn’t been in the crew for long, the twitching nose and long ears pressed back against her head as she looked at the hat in his lap showed just how despondent she was about this. Turning his attention away from the Straw Hat’s newest Mink member, he started weaving the straw, old and new, back together. 

Perks of being a surgeon: he was good with his hands and his fingers were accustomed to the delicate work. 

His movements were slow, but steady, and regularly punctuated by him using water and some part of a steam press (of all things) to shape the hat and get the straw to fold flat. Occasionally, he would use the medical adhesive presented to get some particularly stubborn pieces of straw to fix together. As he worked, he did his best to ignore the observing crowd and the returning party, not giving them any attention besides a muttered thanks when more of the straw he wanted was piled into Carrot’s arms. 

“It’d get damaged sometimes,” Nami’s murmur briefly drew his attention. “Back when we first met, when someone damaged the hat, he’d go ballistic. Bullet holes. Knife cuts. Sometimes it would be a bit singed. There was a couple of times when someone would stomp on it. Then he’d kick their asses. Even poked a hole through it himself once. I managed to fix those. But I never had to fix so much of it at once....” Law didn’t bother telling her that she sounded like she was describing injuries to an actual person. Not when he felt like he was performing an actual surgery on a goddamn hat. “Anyway, what were you and Kidd talking about over there? He didn’t seem too happy.” 

Law sighed because he really did need to concentrate. “Eustass-ya was barking about how he was going to be Pirate King. I reminded him that I’m currently closer to that goal that he is." When he say the incredulous look that pass over the redhead's face, he gave her a flat look and raised an eyebrow pointedly. "We may still be allies, Nami-ya. But I haven’t given up on finding One Piece.” 

“Of course…Torao’s not gonna give up…,” came a soft, sleepy mutter. “If he…wasn’t aiming for the top too…it wouldn’t be interesting…” 

The surrounding group, blinked in surprise. “Eh?” As one, they all looked down at Monkey D. Luffy whose blurry eyes were half-open. “EEEEH?!” 

“HE’S AWAKE! HE’S AWAKE! HE’S AWAKE!” the Straw Hat’s marksmen screamed like a particularly blaring alarm. 

“A-a-ah, Luffy! You’re awake earlier than usual,” Nami yelped and stuttered with a nervous smile. It was punctuated by quiet and frantic panic as well as yells of ‘You’re awake, Straw Hat!’ or ‘No no no, look this way! Not that way!’. “Can you look at me? LOOK AT ME! How are you feeling?” 

Her captain was breathing slowly and painfully, but still lightheaded and not quite there. “Someone…said pirate…king…” 

_Of course that’s what woke him up_ , was the silently exasperated, exhausted deadpan shared between everyone gathered. 

Law let his coat slide off and quickly pulled it over the operation going on in his lap. Meanwhile, Zoro—who had been guided back by Franky some time ago—smoothly stepped closer. Kneeling to momentarily fill Luffy’s vision on the side where Law was sitting, Zoro drawled, “You realize this means we might have to end the alliance right? If you’re both aiming for top, we can’t really be allies.” 

He had expected this eventuality of course. After all, he was the one who had proposed the alliance in the first place. It was an alliance with a deadline, an ‘until we beat Kaidou’ though it was meant more along the lines of ‘until I die by a pink, shit-eating Warlord’. Yet somehow, the reminder that they perhaps might no longer be allies was like a punch in the gut, and Law’s breath was suddenly caught in his throat. 

Even only half-conscious, the furrow in his brow showed that Luffy clearly thought this was stupid and was confused why _Zoro_ of all people was asking. Because usually it was his swordsman who understood these kinds of things best. “You and Sanji fight a lot too…but you’re still nakama…” Inhaling deeply and painfully, a soft, sleepy smile (so different from his usual toothy, sunny one) overtook his face, “Heh…Torao and me can…be allies and…rivals…” 

Zoro seemed to understand this ( _sly motherfucker_ ), his nodding agreement of ‘of course’ signified that. But clearly that didn’t mean all the Straw Hats did. Some members like Nami and Usopp were now looking at Law with confused, askanced looks. The surgeon wondered what it was like to become someone so completely devoted to Luffy, that the idea of not stepping aside for his dream—of not doing the utmost to support that dream and help—was just incomprehensible. It wasn’t that Law didn’t understand, but he was still his own man and would do what he wanted with the freedom he had. However, he was also glad that Luffy saw their relationship as something that could multi-faceted. A well-founded caution of becoming the Straw Hats’ enemies aside, he genuinely didn’t want to lose their camaraderie (which had been initially reluctant on his side, but they were the Straw Hats). Now whether that would actually work was another matter altogether, but Law wasn’t going to deem it impossible with this crew or their sunny captain. 

To smother the upward twitching of his lips, he distractedly adjusted his own spotted hat and muttered loud enough for the younger D to hear, “I’m glad you can see it that way.” 

“I’d expect…nothing less than Torao also…aiming for the top…,” Luffy’s smile widened into a grin. However, his voice was become softer and it was obvious that he was fading fast. “I just…have to beat you…to the mystery island…” 

“We’ll see. Go back to sleep, Straw Ha—,” and Law paused. Because he had only ever really called his partner by his epithet. Most people did. The younger D himself seem to be just fine with it, but suddenly, Law felt uncomfortable referring to his partner and the destroyed hat in his lap as the same thing. “Luffy-ya.” 

Of course, the other D wasn’t going to take this without comment, “Shishishshi…Torao called me by my name." 

Ducking his head to avoid the questioning, curious gaze of the others, Law muttered quietly, almost to himself, “So I have.” 

Ignoring everyone else, he went back to working on the hat.

* * *

Holding his hat in a bandaged hand, an awake Luffy stared at his hat curiously, as if not quite recognizing it. Meanwhile, everyone in vicinity either held their breath or looked on in curiosity. Swallowing down his current mouthful (if it could be called that) of presented food, he face broke into a wide grin. 

“Aaaaa~,” he sighed in enjoyment and a content happiness. Plopping the hat back on his head, he tilted it back so that he could continue smiling sunnily at everyone. “Thanks for finding my hat, guys!” 

There was a subtle but collective sigh of relief. “No problem!” everyone responded with maybe a little too much force and enthusiasm. Nothing to hide here, nope! Robin smiled sweetly without any trace of the darkness showcased only a few days before. 

Nodding towards Law, she hummed, “Torao really helped with the search.” 

“Really?” Luffy’s grin widened further. “Thanks, Torao!” 

"Think nothing of it, Straw Hat-ya,” Law shrugged before the other captain got any _ideas_. At this point, the surgeon didn’t really want to think about how in debt he was to his ally. This was the least he could do. 

Seeing as any major crisis was averted, people started to wander or move away to deal with whatever matters needed to be solved. With how diverse their group was, everyone had different issues to deal with. The country’s government and bureaucracy needed reworking. Momosuke and his party would be placed in power. Food issues needed to be resolved on _everybody's_ part. The Vinsmokes were heading to the Reverie. Big Mom’s group needed to go back to their headquarters to deal with the chaos. The Whitebeards commanders were talking about forming an alliance with Luffy. Minks of all shapes and forms were split between those returning to Zou and those remaining to help Wano with relief efforts. To top it all off, the Navy was finally moving their asses and news was that they had deployed a full on force to come after them. Everyone had things that needed to get done. In a little bit, only Law and a few of the Straw Hats remained by Luffy’s side. And soon enough the young man finished cleaning off his last plate and rocked onto his feet, no doubt to look for more food. 

Expecting this move as soon as they were down to the last five plates, his crew mates were already up and moving towards where Blackleg was prepping more food in the designated cooking fires area. 

Their captain, however, hadn’t actually moved from where he stood. 

“Torao,” Luffy called, his voice quieter and more serious. His face was shadowed by his old-new hat. When Law looked over, tense and cautious, the younger D continued, “I like it when you call me by my name.” 

Tapping the edge of his hat, he flashed the surgeon a wide but mischievously knowing smile before bouncing off to go bother his nakama and new friends. Meanwhile, Law was left to choke in surprise and gape after him. 

That fucking bastard. 

**Author's Note:**

> So family/nakama right!? Mainly, this was me wanting to explore the cohesiveness of the Straw Hats after three years. We haven't seen Luffy go ballistic over his hat very often after Romance Dawn. I thought that after all this time and how tight they are now, his crew would be pretty mad when Luffy isn't there to be defensive. 
> 
> Also, Law has been completely swept in to their pace. He's another captain, but he's still family/nakama. 
> 
> Too bad, Trafal-guy! You've been assimilated! >8D
> 
> EDIT: okay truth, this was a mixture of headcanons and wish fulfillment


End file.
